Mage Manual
Chapter 317 - Chapter 317 Chapter 271 A Guide to Assessing Lap Pillows

Chapter 317: Chapter 271: A Guide to Assessing Lap Pillows Chapter 317: Chapter 271: A Guide to Assessing Lap Pillows “Did you know,” they say that just before death, a Mage’s soul enters a state called ‘Blissful Dream.'”

Lying on the ground, Ash opened one eye and saw Hanna crouching next to him. Her purple silk stockings stretched tightly over her soft, plush thighs, squeezing them outward, and her short skirt did nothing to fend off the invaders, instead igniting a desire for conquest and exploration.

Hanna spoke leisurely, “‘Blissful Dream’ is a place where time is infinite. Inside, Mages erase all memories and relive a life anew.”

“Unlike reality, though, everything in ‘Blissful Dream’ progresses as the Mage expects; people they like will reciprocate, they can obtain anything they desire, and people they detest just drop dead… The Mage can control the fate of everyone in the dream, live out their wildest dreams, and revel in boundless joy.”

“Is there really such a good thing?” Ash couldn’t help but laugh, pain making him shiver, “I’ve been on death’s doorstep a few times, so why haven’t I experienced it even once?”

“How do you know this isn’t your ‘Blissful Dream’?”

Imitating Ash’s movements, Hanna winked and smiled, “‘Blissful Dream’ only appears in the moment before death. Once the dream is over, it means the Mage will definitely die. Ash, do you know where a Mage’s soul goes after death?”

“Hell?” Ash ventured a guess, “Though I’ve heard the Divine Lord’s Heavenly Kingdom seems to accept soul immigrants…”

“Exactly, Hell or Heavenly Kingdom,” Hanna said. “And it’s your behavior in ‘Blissful Dream’ that determines whether you go to Hell or enter Heavenly Kingdom.”

“If you remain devout in your dream, living your life according to the Divine Lord’s will, then you can ascend to Heavenly Kingdom; but if you indulge in your dream, seeking only pleasure, then you’ll fall into Hell.”

“Ash, would you prefer a moment of pleasure or eternal happiness?”

“Can I choose not to die?”

“Do you know why I’m telling you this story, Ash?” Hanna propped her chin with her hands, gazing at Ash lying on the ground, “Although I can’t delve into your past, from Mr. Bokin’s and Mr. Harvey’s words, I’ve roughly guessed that you’re their cellmate and you’ve recently escaped from prison, finally crossing the Void Realm to find your way here to Evangelism.”

“Because of that, I’ve been mentally prepared for your lack of morals. Despite this, Mr. Harvey and Mr. Bokin have given me a pleasant surprise. By the firm’s standards, they’ve actually exceeded the average moral level.”

That should mean your profession just lacks integrity…

“If those two are surprises, then Ash, you’ve given me a fright.”

Hanna glanced at the bruise on Ash’s face, “I really didn’t expect you to complete the Task with a fake fight.”

“What fake fight? I really couldn’t beat him!” Ash spoke too forcefully and tugged at the bruise on his face, grimacing in pain, “That was a Beastman! He might’ve weighed more than me, but it seemed he’d also learned some combat techniques. Lucky for me, my Fist Claw Faction skills are of a certain Realm, or I wouldn’t have been able to get away. Mission accomplished, I won clean and clear.”

“You call that esteemed look on your face a win?” Hanna was somewhat speechless, “The fight’s outcome was at best thirty-seventy.”

“How come only seventy?”

“Seventy percent for him, thirty for you!”

Hanna helped Ash to his feet, and he naturally placed his hand on her shoulder, leaning his weight onto her. Purple Moth said irritably, “I need to take a picture later. This scene will definitely prove I’m sincerely cooperating with you, even Mr. Bokin can’t blame me for treating you like a slave–no slave owner helps their slave up!”

Ash grinned, “That just shows you underestimate Igula. He only talks sense when it’s to his benefit. If reason is against him, then he’ll employ ‘double standards,’ ‘logical fallacies,’ ‘topic shifting,’ and other Miracles to find ways to blame you. To a Swindler, since when is reason so inconvenient?”

“That does make sense,” Hanna snorted, “People can’t betray their own interests. Reason is just a consensus that benefits the majority. If the consensus is harmful, there’s no need to acknowledge it.”

“Since selfishness is human nature, that’s why I don’t understand you–why didn’t you use your Mage powers to win against the Beastman just now?”

“I did,” Ash said. “I enhanced my skin’s defense, but I didn’t expect the Beastman’s base attack to be so high…”

“What about your swordsmanship Miracle? Your Defense Miracle?” Hanna pressed, “Even without a Miracle, just by wielding the hidden sword on your person and using the most basic swordsmanship Technique Spirit, you could’ve scared him into submission.”

“He would’ve understood how terrifying a Combat Mage can be, more so than a common man, given his background as a production Mage.”

“How do you know my sword is hidden on me?” Ash asked, surprised, as he had never exposed his sweet words and hidden dagger in the Kingdom of Gospel.

“As a Sword Master, the fact that you never carry a sword is already telling,” Hanna glanced at him, the amethyst earrings sparkling brilliantly, “Any Instrument Master would always carry their weapon. Like the Red Hats, a faction that all specialize in gun technique, they even take their guns to the shower.”

“When they…”

“Why?” Hanna cut off his trivial line of questioning, “Why hide your true strength and fight like an ordinary person instead?”

“Didn’t I complete the Task?”

“Do you really need me to order you before you’re willing to seriously answer questions?”

“Almost forgot you can demand anything from me now,” Ash muttered. “Well, I just don’t want to bully anyone. After all, it’s weird enough to intentionally trouble him, and to then suppress him with a Mage’s power–it’s simply the behavior of a bad person.”

“When I used to work, my trashy superiors would also set me up with particularly stupid, offensive tasks. But to make a living, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and get them done.”

“Because I know, even if I don’t do it, someone else will. And if it’s me, at least I can minimize the harm.”

The cult leader paused, “Actually, it didn’t reduce much harm, since I just used a Shadowless Kick to send that Beastman flying–”

“Enough, enough,” Hanna said. “So, are you criticizing the trashy superior–that’d be me–who sets these tasks?”

“Trashy superior is just a metaphor.” Ash shrugged his shoulders. “In life, you’ll always have conflicts with others, there will always be something forcing you to hurt others, like life, desires, positions, family… Of course, that includes you, Miss.”

“Right now, I can’t resist you, and besides me, you have other executors.” Ash spoke indifferently. “Since that’s the case, I’ll complete the task in my own way.”

“That Beastman will probably just think about how to punch me better when he goes to sleep tonight, and by tomorrow morning, he’ll have forgotten about this fight. If I unjustly bullied him with a Mage’s power, he might never forget the humiliation I caused him until his death.”

By this time, they had already left the school, and Hanna pressed her car key to summon the Floating Car over.

“He’s not even the same race as you, and you don’t like his looks or have any relationship with him, why would you choose the most troublesome way to help him?”

“He didn’t offend me before, why should I choose the cruelest way to hurt him?”

The two sat in silence until the Floating Car arrived; Hanna took the initiative to get into the back seat and indicated for Ash to sit beside her.

“Ash, do you remember the story of the ‘Blissful Dream’?” Hanna said. “I’ve always felt it’s so unfair because most of the people I know can’t pass the Dream’s tests to enter the Heavenly Kingdom, but they aren’t bad enough to fall into Hell… I’m the same.”

“The Blissful Dream deliberately creates an environment for venting evil, luring out people’s desires to argue they should fall into Hell… It’s nothing but arrogance, like how a Mage uses power to oppress the mortals, and the Divine Lord uses dreams to toy with all of creation.”

“But you’re different, Ash,” Hanna said. “You’re not one of those people stuck in between. I have a strong feeling, in your Blissful Dream, it would either be the Heavenly Kingdom where everyone is happy or an unimaginable Hell. You’ll either stand above the heavens or become the enemy of the gods.”

“I greatly appreciate Miss’s high regard, but I’m just a zero-star talent not on any list,” Ash’s face remained calm, having no interest in Hanna’s pie-in-the-sky offers, “I don’t want to go to either Heavenly Kingdom or Hell.”

“Hmph,” Hanna let out a soft snort and patted her thigh. “Lie down.”

“What?”

Hanna summoned the Water Therapy Technique Spirit. “Don’t you need healing? Banjee can heal you when we get back.”

“Don’t think that because you’re my boss you can harass me…” Ash said as he lay down in her lap.

The faint scent of violets, the firmness of her thigh, the silky texture of the stockings… Well, that’s not bad.

Before he knew it, Ash had accumulated a wealth of lap pillow experiences.

The Sword Maiden’s lap pillow, Freyja’s lap pillow, now adding the young miss’s lap pillow–it could be said that each had their merits. The Sword Maiden would sing during the lap pillow time, Freyja would clean his ears, and though the young miss had no special talents for it, she was now Ash’s boss, which alone called for respect.

As Ash was rating the lap pillows in his mind, Hanna continued to treat his bruises while asking, “So, do we go back now? Or do you want to buy something?”

“Hm?” Ash blinked. “Is the task over?”

“It’s over.” Hanna smiled. “Did you think I’d set you up for something difficult? You’re just looking to spend money in games, the least I could do is not to make you kill someone… at least not get your hands dirty.”

“Why did you want me to drive off that Beastman?”

“Are you curious?”

Ash suddenly sat up and turned to look at Hanna. “If Harvey and Igula are curious, then so am I.”

“After all, that was your purpose for taking me out tonight, right?”

Hanna pulled him back down to lie in her lap and continued to leisurely heal his wounds without answering his question.

Though he wasn’t sure what the young miss’s attitude was, Ash took a good long look.

That amethyst earring, really big and sparkly!